


And So It Continues

by ReidFan



Series: And So..... [2]
Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-26
Updated: 2018-10-26
Packaged: 2019-08-08 00:31:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16419014
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReidFan/pseuds/ReidFan
Summary: Follows And So It BeginsThis is part two in a three part series.Dr. Spencer Reid's birthday is Sunday, October 27, 2018 and Dr. Samantha Reid has a surprise planned for her boyfriend.





	1. Chapter 1

And So It Continues

A CM fanfic

Reid/OFC (Samantha Reid)

M

 

Author’s Note: This Sunday, October 28, is Spencer Reid’s birthday. Next Wednesday is Halloween. And so I felt it necessary to commemorate the occasion with a Halloween birthday themed story.

 

My thanks again to Aut, without whom this just wouldn’t have happened. Time management was vital, and I can’t begin to thank her for the late nights, late, late nights and really really early mornings that went into the writing and editing of this story. She really was more of a co-writer than ‘just’ the beta this time. Thank you so much, autumn amber leaves.

 

 

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 ** _“Love is when the other person’s happiness is more important than your own”-_** H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

 

October 27, 2018

 

         “You’re not gonna tell me where we’re going?” Spencer asked as Samantha waited at the light before making a left turn onto the highway onramp.

 

         “Nuh uh,” Samantha replied, concentrating on her driving and merging into the early morning traffic on I-66 W. She didn’t drive often; neither did Spencer, they both found commuting to work via DC’s practical _Metro_ much more advantageous.

 

It occurred to him that she needed—or wanted—no distraction while she was devoting her attention to the road and he sat back in his seat next to her to relax and just look out the window. _Westbound_ , he noted. _Pittsburgh?_ He wondered, almost instantly dismissing that idea, as that would’ve meant I-70 north. _Richmond?_ No, that would’ve been straight south down I-95. He decided to stop thinking about it so much and just trust that Samantha had some sort of plans for them. A smile drew across his face.

 

She navigated her _Tesla Model 3_ through a short construction zone and stole a look over at Spencer who seemed engrossed in their surroundings. It occurred to her that they were probably wasting money both owning vehicles they rarely drove but decided against bringing the subject up. Her parents had given her the car, several years ago when she was still living in Baltimore and commuting daily to DC. She’d grown weary of driving an hour each way to work every day. Dealing with the traffic and congestion caused her too much anxiety. The DC _Metro_ commute to Marbury from her apartment was around forty minutes one-way and had its advantages in other ways too. Samantha found the time had passed quickly when she utilised it to catch up on her email, grade papers or just reading. And of course now, she smiled broadly, three stops after she boarded the train was the station at which Spencer entered the train making the commute even more attractive.

 

 _Speaking of attractive,_ she thought and laughed as she wondered momentarily whether she’d voiced that thought out loud.   
  


“What’s so funny?” Spencer asked.

 

“Us,” she replied.

 

“How so?” he wondered genuinely.

 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean humorous, so much as I meant fun. I mean we both have pretty serious, severe jobs. Six months ago I was happy with that.”

 

He tilted his head and smiled at her; the smile that lit up his face and her heart.

 

“And then I was sitting on the train one day wrestling with my bags and Tori’s birthday present and mail that didn’t even belong to me. And this cute guy was sitting in the seat across the aisle from me reading my favourite sci-fi novel. And I remember thinking, there’s gotta be more to my life than student dissertations on A Tale of Two Cities.”

 

“Dickens is an amazing writer,” Spencer offered.

 

“And Spencer Reid is an amazing person,” she countered. “You’ve opened up so much more in my life, Spence. I can’t even begin to tell you how much you mean to me.”

 

He reached over to touch her hand lightly, not wanting to interfere with her driving. To his surprise, she took her hand off the steering wheel and clutched his tightly for a long moment, resting their clasped hands together on his left thigh. He didn’t want to distract her from her driving and debated inwardly whether to engage this conversation further. Instead, he just rubbed the top of her hand with his thumb for a moment before lifting it to his lips and kissing it.

 

She glanced over at him for just a second to smile and turned her attention back to the road ahead of her. It was a clear sunny day, reflecting Samantha’s mood. The dashboard info centre informed her it was 62 degrees outside, a little on the cool side but holding Spencer’s hand, she felt warmth radiate through her.

 

Up ahead, a plethora of red taillights told Sam that the traffic was suddenly halting. She slowed their car, letting it coast to a stop. An accident had occurred several cars ahead of them. A blood-spattered compact car lay on its side; an injured deer lay in the median between the east and westbound lanes of the highway. Screaming could be heard from within the overturned vehicle.

 

As soon as their _Tesla_ came to a stop, Spencer clamoured out of the car and ran up to the accident site. As he raced past four other stopped cars, he yelled out directions, “Someone call 9-1-1! Bring me some blankets!”

 

Once at the overturned car, he lowered his voice and intoned in a more soothing tone, “You’re gonna be okay,” to the frightened woman trapped in the vehicle. He wrestled with the car door, finally managing to wrench it open. The woman stopped screaming and was now crying as Reid reached in to undo her seatbelt.

 

“Are your hurt at all, miss?” he asked her as she reached for him.

 

Her sobbing subsided and she hiccupped as she clutched his hand. She was bleeding from several cuts to her face and left arm. Reid guessed it was from the shattered windshield.

 

“I’m okay. Just please! Get me out of here! Please.”

 

Another man arrived and together, he and Reid lifted the fearful woman through the open door and lowered her to the ground. Two blankets were handed to him and Reid carefully wrapped the woman up in them.

 

“I called EMS,” someone said. “They’re on the way.”

 

A gunshot rang out and the woman began to cry again.

 

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” the other man who’d helped extract her soothed. “That’s just my dad, putting the deer out of its misery.”

 

Reid pulled his iPhone from his pocket. “Is there someone you’d like me to call for you?” he asked her.

 

“My husband,” she told him, reaching for Reid’s phone. He punched in the number she gave him and handed the device over to her. Rubbing her arm soothingly, he reminded her “Calmly. Please stay calm. You’re okay.”

 

“Baby? I wrecked the car, there was a deer—“ she started, her words punctuated with sobs and then she broke down again. Reid took the phone from her.

 

“Your wife,” he paused and looked at her, mouthing the word name.

 

“Sheryl,” she supplied in a second of calm before losing it and resuming her tears. Samantha arrived and crouched down beside Sheryl, enveloping the distraught woman in her arms.

 

“You’re okay, nothing’s broken, right?”

 

Sheryl nodded between sniffles.

 

“It’s just a damn car. You’re gonna be all right.”

 

Reid finished his conversation with Sheryl’s husband just as the police and ambulance arrived. He gave Samantha a hand to help her straighten up as the paramedic took over attending to Sheryl. Samantha wrapped her arms around Spencer, overwhelmed by the situation but now relieved that help had arrived. He hugged her back and kissed the side of her temple, then made his way over to the police cruiser. The man who’d assisted in Sheryl’s rescue, and his quick thinking father were giving their statements to the state troopers and Reid stood by waiting to do the same.

 

As the paramedics lifted Sheryl into the ambulance, she reached out and took Samantha’s hand.

 

“Thank you,” she whispered. “Thank you and your husband for your help.”  Samantha smiled back at her, squeezed her hand and released it. Sheryl was remarkably calm now, as the ambulance doors were shut and the attendants climbed aboard to take her to a local hospital.

 

Two state troopers were directing the backed-up traffic through the reduced lanes now as the tow truck drivers worked on righting and extracting Sheryl’s destroyed car from the scene. The deer’s body was removed and in a matter of minutes, the flow of traffic restored to its usual course.

 

Samantha and Spencer returned to her car and resumed their journey westward.

 

“I hope Sheryl will be all right,” Samantha ventured after they’d driven about twenty miles in silence.

 

Spencer nodded, “I’m sure she will be. A little emotionally distraught maybe, but physically she’s okay.”

 

“That was quite a bit of heroism, Spence.”

 

He shrugged. “Just basic first aid. Anyone could’ve done that.”

 

“ _Anyone_ could have,” she agreed, “But _you_ did.”

 

“It’s the training,” he told her. He rolled his bottom lip in his teeth and added, “Sorry. I’m not trying to sound dismissive.”

 

“I know. You’re sounding modest, Spence.”

 

She could almost _hear_ him blushing.

 

“I guess this is gonna make us late to,” he paused, “wherever we’re going.”

 

She chuckled. “A little, but it’s okay.”

 

“I’d offer to drive part way but,” he started.

 

“You don’t know where we’re going.”

 

“Exactly.”

 

They lapsed into a companionable silence again. Samantha fretted, wondering whether or not she should engage Spencer in conversation. He seemed lost in thought, taking in the beautiful rolling Virginia countryside. She snuck a glance over at him, he seemed happy. Knowing he wasn’t one for idle chitchat, she decided he was quite content with the current quiet.

 

Spencer happily spent the time appreciating the beauty of view. Although the team had been to rural Virginia several times over the years for cases, he didn’t recall ever being able to see any sights. As he thought about the possible destinations, Samantha slowed and took the exit for US-29 S. She followed this route for a dozen miles or so and then turned off towards US 211. He was surprised when she pulled into a _Dunkin Donuts_ parking lot.

 

“I need to use the ladies room,” she told him. “Can I bring you back a coffee while we’re here?”

 

“I’ll get them,” he told her, unbuckling his seatbelt and getting out of the car.

 

“A large please!” she requested, coming around to his side of the _Tesla_ and kissing him quickly before they headed into the restaurant.

 

There was a considerable lineup for coffee Spencer noted with a sigh and he took his place at the end of it. Samantha made her way to the women’s bathroom where she took out her cellphone and called the resort at which she’d reserved a cabin for the weekend. She confirmed arrangements she’d made with the owner and a concierge. The man very helpfully answered a few questions she had and gave her a few telephone numbers.

 

“We’re just at Gainesville now,” she told the man.

 

“Well then we’ll be seeing you in about an hour, Dr. Reid,” the man said. “And I assure you, cabin seven is ready as per your emailed requests.”

 

“Thank you so much, sir! We’ll see you soon!”

 

After she made several more calls she used the bathroom, and then Samantha rejoined Spencer in the restaurant. He had progressed to first in line in her absence and they quickly purchased their coffees and returned to their car.

 

Spencer pulled out his iPhone and called up the Maps app. He activated the GPS, pinning their location.

 

“Really, Spence? Ruining my surprise?”

 

Sheepishly, he shut off the phone and put it away. “We must be nearly there,” he pointed out. “Making our destination—“ he paused, looked over at her and relented, “A surprise.”

 

She broke into a smile and said, “We _are_ almost there, Spence. Please trust me.”

 

“Oh I do, Sam. You know I do.”

 

He sipped at his coffee and enjoyed the scenery. His only previous experiences with rural Virginia had encompassed cases, gruesome murders and missing children and it was refreshing and enjoyable to see the panoramic beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Sitting back against the seat, he let out a contented sigh. Hearing him this happy made Samantha smile.

 

A short time later, Samantha turned off the highway at Thornton Gap and stopped at the Entrance Station to the Shenandoah National Park. After paying the admission, Samantha proceeded along the way to their initial destination, the drive considerably slower than the highway speeds they’d driven earlier.

 

“Spence, this is Skyline Drive. It’s a one hundred and change mile long drive through the park, with all sorts of views of the Blue Ridge mountains, and lots of fall colours.”

 

As they merged onto the scenic drive, Spencer’s eyes lit up. He was completely enthralled by the brilliant fall colours. The array of golds, yellows, oranges and reds took his breath away. She suppressed a laugh when she saw him crane his neck and press his face up against the window to get a better look.

 

A few miles down the road was a lookout point and Samantha pulled into the parking lot and stopped. She watched delightedly as he hurried out of the car over the fence that lined the cliff side. The glorious vision of fall colours filled their view for as far as one could see in any direction. Spencer stood in awe of it all, clearly overcome with joy. Any trepidation she had about this trip was wiped away when she saw the look of utter wonder on her lover’s face.

 

As he stood transfixed by the autumn amber leaves, Samantha removed her phone from her pocket and took several photos of Spencer. He moved along the fence and she managed several more pictures, with reds and oranges in the background. Spencer’s love for fall was abundantly apparent and Samantha was never so happy as in that very moment when he turned from the fence and picked her up, twirling her around twice before setting her back down on her feet.

 

“Thank you so much!” he enthused, “I’ve never, _ever_ seen such gorgeous fall colours. It’s just beyond spectacular.” Holding tightly onto her hand, he walked the entire length of the fence, savouring every moment of the kaleidoscope of colour, and every moment of being with the woman he loved. They spent almost an hour just absorbing the beauty, and Samantha was amused that Spencer, who was always lamenting the cold, didn’t appear to notice how chilly the air was at this elevation.

 

Finally, almost reluctantly, they made their way back to the car and resumed the journey along Skyline Drive. Even the view from the car, driving at the speed limit along the winding mountain road, was awe-inspiring and Samantha couldn’t believe when other vehicles passed them. A few miles down the road, they pulled into another lookout point parking lot. Spencer retrieved his coat, scarf, hat and gloves from his go bag before heading out towards this vantage point.

 

Samantha was excited to see there was a waterfall at this stop and cajoled Spencer into posing in front of it with her for a photo. The foliage around the waterfall was scrubbier and not particularly colourful but the waterfalls made the photo lovely regardless.

 

Finally, they returned to the car and Samantha drove on, pulling off Skyline Drive when she got to the small town in which she’d reserved accommodations.

 

They walked through the enormous lobby towards the front desk. The entire building was spectacularly open: cathedral ceilings and floor to roofline windows, the construction large wood beams and the ambience warm and inviting.

 

At the front desk, the concierge recognised her name and voice immediately.

 

“Ah, Dr. Reid. Yes, we have,” he paused for a moment to choose the right word, not wanting to spoil Samantha’s surprise, ”prepared everything to what I sincerely hope is your liking.” He pushed a button on the phone in front of him and then turned his attention back to Samantha. “Cabin seven is ready for you and your young man, and Douglas here,” he indicated the bellhop who’d answered his summons, “will take you to your accommodations. If you have any questions, if you need anything else, please do not hesitate to call me. To call the desk here, simply lift the headset and punch the 1 key. I hope your stay here is most enjoyable.”

 

The concierge didn’t see the bellhop roll his eyes as he picked up Samantha’s suitcase and led them back through the lobby to the front door.

 

“You can just bring your car down to the cabin, it’s got its own little parking spot,” he told them as he held open the door. Spencer held the driver’s door open for Samantha and once she was seated, hurried around to the passenger side and got in himself. By the time she’d started the car, Douglas had already made it past cabins one through five. As Samantha pulled the car into the tiny driveway in front of cabin seven, Douglas arrived and unlocked the door with a flourish. He entered the cabin, set her suitcase down on the floor and then hurried out to help his two guests unpack the car.

 

Spencer had tossed his go bag and a small duffel bag into the back seat of the car, as earlier directed by Samantha. She stalled him as Douglas made two trips with several boxes from the _Tesla’s_ trunk and then nodded to Samantha. Ready now, Douglas had Samantha’s other bag in one hand as he led them to the cabin’s front door.

 

Spencer gestured for Samantha to precede him into the cabin, as she’d hoped, and once inside, Douglas stepped behind Samantha and waited as Spencer entered.

 

“Oh my goodness,” he breathed as his eyes surveyed the cabin interior.

 

Samantha’s face broke into a wide smile. The room was _perfect,_ decorated exactly as she’d requested. She turned to Douglas, pressed a bill into his hand and thanked him profusely.

 

“It’s utterly perfect, Douglas. Thank you so, so much. Pretty much exactly what I’d hoped for.”

 

He smiled back at her and told her, “Enjoy your stay. And like the boss said, please call us if there’s anything we missed, if there’s anything else you need.” He motioned the hand holding the bill she’d given him and in a lowered voice said, “And thank you for this. Unnecessary but very appreciated.”

 

Spencer was standing in the middle of the cabin’s front room, taking it all in. The entire room had been done up in autumn and Halloween décor. Orange and black candles set in Halloween motif candleholders stood on the small dining table in one corner of the room.  The pattern continued along the island countertop separating the cabin’s tiny kitchen from the main room. Douglas had apparently lit them just before they’d arrived, and the scent of cinnamon and cloves wafted through the air. Several orange and black vases carried arrangements of coloured leaves and fall asters and mums. Mini pumpkins on sticks highlighted each such arrangement. As he walked around the room, he saw autumn-toned placemats and napkins on the table. In one corner, sitting on a table across from a cozy two-seater sofa, was a display of various sized gourds placed around the central focus—a wonderfully ghoulish carved Jack O’Lantern. Even the tiny kitchen was remembered: the tea towels hanging on the oven door matched the pumpkin motif oven mitts on a hook next to the appliance.

 

They’d even replaced (Samantha assumed) the standard wall artwork with several prints of photographs depicting the fall colours as seen from Skyline Drive.

 


	2. Chapter 2

She made her way into the kitchen where Douglas had set down the boxes he’d brought in from her car. As Spencer continued his walking tour of the cabin, Samantha unpacked the boxes, putting the provisions away in cupboards, and a small bakery cake box into the refrigerator. She laughed when she opened one cupboard and found that the staff had indeed gone all out. Even the dishes were Halloween motif! Samantha saw the large pot sitting on the stove and happily noted that they’d followed her instructions to the letter. She opened the oven door and nodded her approval then quickly shut the door and turned the oven off.

 

She heard Spencer gasp and a distinctly frightened sounding “Oh!” followed by peals of laughter and quickly followed the sound to the bedroom at the back of the cabin. Spencer stood at the end of the bed, laughing as she’d never seen him laugh before.

 

He was holding one hand up against his chest, and when she appeared beside him, he pointed at the back of the door and laughed again.

 

A skeleton hung there, and Samantha made a face. Spencer reached over and flipped off the light, plunging the room into darkness and laughed again as Samantha jumped.

 

“Oh my god!” she almost screamed, “The damn thing glows in the dark!”

 

“Yeah! Isn’t it wonderful?” he enthused.

 

“Actually no. It’s damn scary!” she contradicted. “That’s gotta go, I won’t be able to sleep at night with that staring at me!”

 

He squeezed her close and reached up to take the skeleton down from the door. “How about on the back of the front door?”

 

“That’d be acceptable,” she agreed. She looked around the bedroom, noting the repeat appearance of orange and black candles, and the fall coloured bedspread upon the queen size bed. As Spencer disappeared with the skeleton, Samantha pulled down the bedspread.

 

“Oh my god, they went all out,” she exclaimed as she uncovered white sheets with a fall colour leaves pattern. A trip to the cabin bathroom had her shaking her head in disbelief. “Of course they included orange and black towels.” Even the soap dish was filled with soaps shaped like tiny orange pumpkins and little white skulls.

 

She came out of the bathroom laughing and found Spencer sitting in the front room. He rose immediately and gathered her into his arms.

 

“This is your doing, isn’t it?”

 

“I might have made a few suggestions,” she admitted.

 

“It’s absolutely perfect, Sam. This place,” he moved one arm to gesture around the room and then clasped it back around her, “this is just the perfect little vacation. Thank you. Thank you so much.”

 

She kissed his jaw. As tall as she was, he was still at least five or six inches taller and her head tucked in under his chin when they stood together. He bent his head down so she could reach and they kissed again. Moaning her delight, her lips parted and her tongue found its way into Spencer’s mouth. He responded with a guttural growl, his fingers instinctively digging into her back. This action only spurred her on. For several minutes, the only sounds were the delicate sighs of delight and kindling sparks of desire as they continued to express their love.

 

Finally, breathlessly, they broke apart. Spencer was unable to speak for a moment and Samantha took a deep breath, hoping to dampen her level of arousal. They stood still, holding each other’s hands for a long moment. Their eyes locked and both found themselves trying to suppress giggles.

 

“What you do to me!” he accused, now that he was finally able to say something.

 

“Guilty,” she replied, “But you’re no innocent yourself.” Smoothing down her sweater, she changed the subject, “It’s almost one, Spence, are you hungry?” She saw the look in his eyes and elaborated, “For lunch!”

 

He admitted, “I am hungry, yeah. But honestly, I really don’t wanna go anywhere right now.” He pulled her back into his arms, holding her close against his chest.

 

“Well lucky for you,” she told him, stepping back out of his embrace. She took his hands in hers. They walked back to the kitchen together.

 

“There’s lunch here. Just give me a couple of minutes to put the last few things together.”

 

“Seriously?” He was incredulous.

 

“Seriously. I just wanna make some coffee. Why don’t you go unpack your bag?”

  
         He interpreted that as her wanting him to leave the room so she could finish making lunch.

 

“Okay,” he agreed, and picked up his bags and walked into the tiny bedroom with them.

 

Samantha sprang into action in the kitchen. After putting the coffee on, she took several packages of cheese and meats from the refrigerator. Cutting bite size pieces, she arranged the cheddar, Monterey Jack and Havarti onto a small platter. Slices of salami, mortadella and ham were rolled up and added to it. On a smaller dish, she laid out olives and pickles. She set these dishes on the table and returned to the kitchen to get bowls, plates and cutlery. After setting their places, she made another trip into the kitchen and found coffee mugs, and the sugar bowl and cream jug. Finally, she removed the warmed bread from the oven and set it on the table, then cut it into thick slices, which she set into a large bowl. Donning the oven mitts, she removed the hot soup pot from the stove and set it on a protective cozy on the countertop. She filled the soup bowls. Spencer returned from the bedroom as she brought the coffee pot to the table.

 

“Sit,” she directed and set the soup before him. He sniffed appreciatively.

 

“It’s autumn, so, I thought fresh butternut squash soup would be appropriate.”

 

She poured him a mug of coffee, and apprised him of what was on the platter, directing him to help himself. They ate heartily, chatting about their day, and after refilling their coffee mugs, they moved to the sofa.

 

“I’ll give you a little while to let lunch settle,” she told him as she sipped at her coffee.

 

He raised an eyebrow. “You have something planned?”

 

“Oh, I have all _sorts_ of plans, Dr. Reid. But yes, a specific one for this afternoon. Since it’s clear and sunny, it’ll be a perfect day for it.”

 

“That sounds,” he paused for emphasis, “promising.”

 

“I promise you, you will like it.”

 

“If I’m with you, I’ll like it.”

 

An hour later, with the remains of lunch put away and the dishes washed, they were back in the car and Samantha took them down Skyline Drive for the short journey to their next destination. A wide smile stretched across Spencer’s face when she turned off into a farmer’s drive and brought the car to a stop.

 

He pulled on his hat and gloves, fastened his coat and arranged his scarf around his neck as they exited the vehicle. There wasn’t much wind but there was a definite fall nip to the air.

 

It was Heaven on Earth for Spencer. Samantha stood back and just watched as he wandered around the pumpkin patch in awe of the sheer number and size of pumpkins available. He stood next to one that was almost as tall as he was. Again Samantha took advantage of his complete absorption with his surroundings to surreptitiously take several photos of him. The farmer—or his employee—was busy talking to Spencer about their bumper crop this year, explaining how and why there was such a size differential. As they walked amongst the pumpkins, Spencer bent several times to pick one, ending up with an armful that he took back to the car after paying for them. Samantha had three smaller pie pumpkins in her hands and Spencer, after paying for them as well, took those from her and made another trip to the car.

 

Returning to Samantha, he put an arm around her and kissed her temple. “Thank you, this is amazing!”

 

“Did you get enough pumpkins?”

 

He nodded. “I’ll have half a dozen Jack O’Lanterns this year. The farmhand said they’d keep well in the trunk of the car for a couple of days until we get back to DC, given the cooler temperature.”

 

“Well that’s awesome, Spence.”

 

They walked together along the laneway, Samantha directing him in a southerly manner towards the kiosk set up by the side of small building. Behind the building was an apple orchard and Samantha and Spencer could see several families, as well as a number of farmhands, picking apples from the trees.

 

“Fresh Apple Cider,” he read the sign above the kiosk.

 

“We’ll have to get some cider later, too. Would you like to go pick some apples, Spence?”

 

His eyes lit up and he practically dragged her into the orchard.

 

Half an hour later, and with a basket of apples and a large jug of cider on the seat beside them, Sam and Spence drove back to their cabin.

 

“Are you tired?” she asked, seeing him stifle a yawn. Before he could reply, she gave him a gentle shove in the direction of the bedroom. “Go have a little nap, sweetheart.”

 

Squeezing her hand, he leaned down to kiss her and said, “Yeah, I’ll do that,” and disappeared into the bedroom. She waited for a few minutes and then peeked in at him. Satisfied he was asleep, she went about executing her next plans.

 

In less than an hour, apple crisp was baking in the oven, pot roast was simmering on the stove and Samantha was pulling the hand mixer from a cupboard. It would be noisy, she thought and decided to wait with this step until Spencer was up. She set the beaters into the mixing bowl and put them in the refrigerator.

 

Samantha took the necessary dry ingredients from the cupboard, measured and mixed them together and then added the milk and butter necessary and worked her dough as lightly as possible. She greased a cookie sheet and then used a drinking glass to cut out biscuits.

 

“What immaculate timing!” she said mockingly, as her timer went off signaling the apple crisp was done just as she was ready to put the biscuits in the oven.

 

Spencer reappeared at that moment, “Wow, it smells fabulous in here.”

 

“Dinner will be ready in about half an hour,” she told him. “Want some apple cider? Did you have a good nap?”

 

“Great! Yes please, and yes, thank you.”

 

They both laughed as he accepted a glass of cider from her.

 

“Wow, even the glasses are Halloween motif,” he pointed out, raising the black wine glass. Taking a long sip, he let out a satisfied sigh, “Oh my god this is good.”

 

“There’s no substitute for fresh apple cider,” Samantha asserted. She took plates and cutlery from the cupboards and drawers. “Will you set the table, please, Spence, while I finish up here?”

 

Instantly, he complied and then asked if there was anything else he could do to help. Sam took the biscuits from the oven and transferred them to a service bowl. She set the butter dish on the countertop next to them and Spencer moved them over to the dinner table.

 

“Actually, if you don’t mind, could you separate the meat from the vegetables and put them in these dishes?” she asked, indicating two service platters.

 

While Spencer attended to that, Samantha retrieved the mixing bowl and beaters from the fridge and prepared whipped cream. 

 

“You made pot roast. One of my favourites,” Spencer pointed out.

 

“I’m a woman of many talents,” she countered.

 

“Don’t I know it!” he teased.

 

“Spencer Reid! You are so naughty,” she smirked, “I love it. And you.”

 

He set his cider glass down and drew her into his arms. “I love you too.”

 

They kissed briefly and Samantha pulled back. “Mmmm. But. Dinner first.” She reached up and kissed him lightly again and told him, “And more kissing later.”

 

With everything set on the table, the couple sat down to eat dinner.

 

“Do you know what today is?”

 

“It’s October 27. Why?”

 

“We met seven months ago today.”

 

“So we did,” he agreed. “Wait. Are you talking about the train or the university office?”

 

“The train, although I suppose we didn’t really _meet_ properly that day, did we?”

 

“I’d say our first actual date was lunch the next day. After Mandy introduced us in the office.”

 

Samantha laughed. “I will never forget the look on your face.” She quoted Mandy, “ _Doctor Spencer Reid, meet Doctor Samantha Reid.”_

 

He smiled indulgently.

 

“At least we knew _why_ I kept getting your mail!”

 

“Mandy liked mentioning that to me. Probably two or three times a day.”

 

Samantha laughed heartily. “Anyway, it was the start of something wonderful. Lunch at the cafeteria was,”

 

“Sub par,” he interrupted her, wincing at the memory of the less than spectacular boring soup and sandwich lunch they’d shared that day. He remembered being certain she would write him off as suitable dating material after that fiasco.

 

“Wasn’t that why you asked me to dinner that weekend?”

 

“It was. And _that_ was the start of the something wonderful.”

 

She raised her cider glass in a toast. That evening had been wonderful. After dinner at DC’s finest Thai restaurant, they’d spent an hour walking the _National Mall,_ just talking and getting to know each other. “To our something wonderful.”

 

He touched his glass to hers and nodded. “It sure is. I think I’ll always associate Pad Thai with the beginning of our relationship.”

 

“And for that, I will always love Thai food. Although I do love Italian. And Chinese. And German.”

 

He was laughing as she continued.

 

“But it was always more about the company than the cuisine.”

 

“I can’t argue with that.”

 

Samantha cleared away their dinner dishes and brought the apple crisp and whipped cream to the table. Dishing it out, she explained she’d made it from some of the apples they’d picked earlier that day.

 

“I know we don’t often have dessert with dinner,” she started.

 

He met her gaze and held it. “I prefer the sort of _dessert_ we usually share.”

 

“Spencer!” she exclaimed in surprise and delight. “I’ll admit that’s my favourite too.” She handed him a plate with apple crisp and whipped cream on it. Licking her lip suggestively, she told him, “There’s more whipped cream for later. If you like.”

 

He choked on the mouthful of apple cider he had and set the glass down so as not to drop and break it accidently.

 

“I’m sorry!” she rose immediately as he continued to cough and gasp for breath. Rubbing his back she knelt next to him and waited until he stopped coughing. “I’m so sorry, babe,” she repeated, kissing his jaw.

 

“I’m okay. And I will soooo get you back for that,” he promised.

 

“Oh good. I can’t wait!” she parried.

 

He gasped sharply. “Oh. You are the—“ he turned his head and made eye contact, “best, you’re the best.” He kissed her then pulled back and told her, “Go relax on the sofa, I’ll clean up.”

 

She opted to sit at the kitchen island with her cider and watch him clean up. Sipping occasionally from the glass, she found the view even more deserving of her appreciation. He rocked back and forth ever so slightly as he washed dishes and she couldn’t tear her eyes away from the way his hips swayed as he worked. He’d removed his sweater and rolled up the long sleeves of his shirt and Sam adored his exposed strong forearms.

 

“Remember the first time we went to a play?”

 

“ _A Midsummer Night’s Dream_ ,” he replied over his shoulder. “That was a fantastic performance. That play was so intricate and I thought it was one of the best versions I’ve ever seen.”

 

“It was, wasn’t it? How could anyone see that and not love Shakespeare?”

 

She knew he wasn’t a particularly ardent fan of Shakespeare’s works but appreciated that he at least had an understanding of the Bard’s writing.

 

“What I remember most about it, was that it was the first time you kissed me,” she reminded him. _As if he’d forget,_ she thought inwardly.

 

“That was a memorable evening, wasn’t it?”

 

“Not nearly as memorable as the night we saw “ _Solo. A Star Wars Story._ ”

 

“I swear to you I had nothing to do with that power failure!” he protested.

 

She laughed yet again. “I know, but it was nice to cuddle in the darkened theatre,” she told him, as she fondly remembered the extended kissing session that had resulted.

 

He’d finished washing dishes and turned around momentarily to tell her face-to-face, “I think my favourite date we’ve gone on so far was the commemoration of six months together.” Making eye contact, he specified, “Tonight is promising too, but,” he paused and lowered his voice to a sultry whisper, “The first time was _magical_.”

 

He held her gaze for a long moment, remembering and savouring every moment of that night. They’d cooked dinner together at her apartment that evening. It was a simple meal of spaghetti and meatballs. They’d made salad and garlic bread and accompanied it with an expensive bottle of Italian red wine. Afterwards, they’d cuddled on the couch and watched “ _Psycho”_ together. Belatedly, he’d wondered whether that was a good choice for such a milestone date. But Samantha had erased that misgiving, assuring him that a good scare was exactly what she wanted. Well, _almost_ exactlywhat she’d wanted.

 

_“What I really want is you,” she’d said._

He blinked and felt his mouth grow dry as he remembered how they’d melted into each other’s arms, kissing hungrily. He remembered trailing hot kisses down her neck and along her throat. He remembered daring to trail his tongue along her shoulder and the neckline of the blouse she’d worn. He remembered drawing the garment off her shoulder and wondering how she’d react. He remembered her arching into his ministrations, how she’d practically ripped his shirt off him, how he’d felt the burgeoning arousal as her hand moved across his chest and down into his lap.

 

He gasped.

 

Reaching for the tea towel hanging on the oven door, Spencer turned away from Samantha and proceeded to dry the dishes. She eyed him curiously. After the longing gaze they’d just shared, she felt a sudden surge of dismay that he’d turn away from her so suddenly.

 

The feeling didn’t last long. He hurried to finish the dishes, hung the wet towel back up and turned back to her. Taking his cider glass in one hand, he reached for her hand with the other and led them both over to the sofa.

 

Usually, gentleman that he was, Spencer would see her seated before seating himself. This time, however, he sat down on the sofa set his glass on the coffee table and then pulled her down into his lap. Elated, she hurriedly set her own glass down and threw her arms around his neck. Their lips met in a searing kiss, and Samantha’s parted when his tongue came searching for entry to her mouth. Her hands, which had been running through his hair, were brought forward and down to his chest. Impatiently she tore through the buttons on his shirt and pulled it off him.

 

He gasped again as her mouth left his and trailed down to his chest, raining kisses along his sternum and biting gently. After letting her toy with him for several minutes, he tipped her face up to meet his and kissed her solidly again. Her hands were still roaming along his chest and she dared to progress further south to the top of his trousers. He gasped into her mouth and pulled away, intent on returning the attention. His hands moved from along her back, one found its way to her bottom, the other curled around her left side until it found her breast and cupped it. He caressed her through her sweater and dropped his mouth to the curve of her neck where he rained kisses along the neckline of the garment.

 


	3. Chapter 3

“Spencer,” she breathed his name with such passion he growled. Pausing, he straightened, sweeping her off his lap momentarily while he stood up. Bending over, he picked her up and carried her into the bedroom, maneuvering carefully as his mouth settled down on the exposed upper part of her cleavage while he kept his eyes on his line of travel. The room was dark, save for the flickering light of the half dozen cinnamon scented votive candles.

 

He deposited her gently on the bed, sliding his hands up her sides and pulling her sweater off in the process. She sat on the edge of the bed.

 

“Oh god,” he stopped and couldn’t help laughing. The corners of her mouth curled upward in a smile as she reacted to his discovery.

 

She’d purchased a camisole set for the occasion. Under the lovely burgundy coloured sweater she’d been wearing was a lacy black camisole patterned with glow in the dark skeletons.

 

“I’m sorry. Does it ruin the mood?” she asked deadpan, reaching for the front of his trousers and swiftly unzipping them.

 

“Ab-ab-solutely not,” he managed to stutter as she drew his pants down to his ankles. He stepped out of them and tried to stand still as she explored.

 

“You wore appropriately coloured socks,” she commended, acknowledging the pumpkins on one foot, the black cats on the other.

 

“Uh huh—oh” he managed as her hand found the front of his briefs.

 

“Spencer? Are you all right?”

 

He emitted an unintelligible sound that Samantha interpreted as an affirmative and rewarded him with a squeeze.

 

“Smnth.” A small gasp.

 

“I’m sorry. What?”

 

Another squeeze.

 

Another gasp.

 

“Samantha!” he half-pleaded, half-admonished.

 

“Spencer,” she countered, her voice husky with desire. “I love you.”

 

“I love you too.”

 

He dropped to his knees in front of her and swept the straps of the camisole off her shoulders. Leaning forward into her, he pressed his mouth on one shoulder, kissed all the way across her other and moved his hands to cup her breasts as he did so. She moaned her approval and her pleasure as he worked to pull the camisole up over her head and off.

 

“Spence,” she breathed, almost reverently.

 

He pushed her gently down onto the bed and then dropped down to join her. Twining his legs between hers, he knelt on the bed’s edge and resumed kissing her upper chest, sending her into orbit when he captured a breast in his mouth. Her hands found the back of his head and she clutched at his hair, reacting to the sensations he was causing her as his tongue swirled around first one and then the other breast.

 

She murmured her approval and arched into him. His hands moved from her chest down to her jeans and he undid them and helped her slip them off.

 

“Oh god, Samantha,” Spencer shook his head and laughed. The panty, instead of having camisole-matching glow in the dark multiple skeletons, had a single glowing skull motif across the front. He gave her the most serious look he could and said, “Now, this is a mood killer. An absolute horror show.”

 

“I worried it might be too much,” she responded straight-faced. “Spence, perhaps you should just take it off me.”

 

“I believe you’re right,” he told her. He reached out with one hand to do so and she stopped him.

 

“With your teeth.”

 

“All right then,” he bent over immediately. Gingerly, using just his teeth as directed, he tugged at the panty. She squirmed and shivered as his facial hair tickled her thighs. He made very little progress with her constant squirming. Sensing mutual frustration, Samantha lifted herself up off the mattress for a moment and taking his hand, hooked one of his fingers into the panty’s waistband. Working together, she was quickly divested of the garment.

 

“That’s cheating, you know,” he pointed out.

 

“Did you want me to put it back on?”

 

He stood up, jaw dropped, stared at her incredulously for a moment.

 

“Spence!”  Locking eyes with him, she leaned forward and in one swift movement, stripped his briefs from his body and said, “I was _kidding!”_

She took his hands and pulled him towards her, not stopping when his shins brushed against the side of the bed. Leaning back, she let herself fall down onto the bed, taking him down with her.

 

The tangle of arms and legs; hands and fingers gently exploring and lips caressing heated skin eventually gave way to mutual desire and Samantha and Spencer made love long into the night.

 

Totally spent, he rolled off her and pulled her into his arms and covered them both with the down-filled comforter. Samantha snuggled against his chest, tucking her head in under his chin.

 

“You know how earlier tonight you said the first time was magical?” she whispered.

 

“Yeah?” he murmured, running his fingers through her hair.

 

“It was, I agree. But,” she kissed his throat, “ _Every_ time is magical. I love you, Spencer. I love you so very much.”

 

“I love you too, Samantha. More than I ever thought was possible.”

 

She nuzzled his neck and happened to catch sight of the clock sitting on the night table behind him. “Oh look, it’s after midnight,” she said.

 

He nodded.

 

“Happy birthday, sweet man.”

 

“Thank you,” he replied. “It sure is.”

 

“It will be. I’m not finished yet.”

 

She patted his chest, kissed his throat once again and forewarned him, “Best we sleep now. There’s a long day ahead of us tomorrow, my love.”

 

“Mmmm hmm?” he queried sleepily.

 

“I’m not kidding, Spence. We need to sleep. Got plans for tomor—uh, later today.”

 

He kissed the top of her head and squeezed her a little tighter for a moment. “All right, good night then.” They kissed once again and settled in to sleep.

 

Samantha woke up first later in the morning and extricated herself carefully from his embrace. He stirred slightly but didn’t awaken and Samantha hurried to shower and then headed into the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

 

Once again, she was silently thankful that Spencer, when relaxed, was such a sound sleeper. She loved being able to surprise him with breakfast in the morning and fondly recalled the first time she’d done that, after the first _magical_ night together. As she turned the bacon in the pan, she replayed that morning in her mind.

 

He’d come padding barefoot out of her bedroom, hair impossibly tousled yet still breathtakingly attractive. Wearing just the bottoms of his pajamas taken from his go bag, he was genuinely surprised to find bacon, scrambled eggs and toast—and more importantly, coffee—waiting for him. That night, Samantha had picked him up, as the team had returned very late from an out of town case. _Oh, the subterfuge,_ she recalled with a smile. At the time, they had still been keeping their burgeoning relationship from his team, and he’d texted her to meet him at the train station to prevent discovery.

 

She’d worried it would be awkward, but that anxiety was quickly alleviated.

 

“Good morning,” he’d said, followed by an enthusiastic “Is that coffee?!”

 

She’d immediately took the coffee pot and poured him a mugful of the strong brew. “Good morning to you, too. Sugar’s here,” she indicated the bowl on the countertop, “And milk’s in the fridge, obviously.” She opened a drawer to get out a spoon for him and was surprised when he slid his arms around her and kissed the side of her temple.

 

“Thank you,” he’d indicated he meant the coffee, and then tipped her head up so he could kiss her properly. As they broke off the kiss, he’d murmured in a most serious tone, “And thank you.”

 

“For?” she’d wondered, genuinely puzzled.

 

“Just everything.” He’d squeezed her against him briefly then released her. “I don’t have to tell you how apprehensive I was about,” he paused as he blushed slightly, “Last night. I know we’ve talked about how I’ve never—“ he’d paused again and drew a deep breath and changed focus. “You’ve been incredibly patient and understanding and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate that. Appreciate that you—“ he’d paused yet again as she slid her arms around him. Drawing strength and comfort from this action, he soldiered on. “I appreciate that there hasn’t been any pressure. We haven’t rushed into this. And we’ve progressed to this point where I’m actually getting comfortable talking about these feelings.”

 

She’d made eye contact with him, intending to let him read the expression on her face.

 

He was silent for a long moment while he’d searched her face and finally whispered, “I love you, Samantha.”

 

Stroking his cheek with one hand she’d nodded, “I love you too, Spence. I know how difficult this is for you. You tend to keep things to yourself and I respect that. To share the way you are right now, the way you did last night. Please know that I understand how challenging that was for you. I love you Spence.”

 

“Last night was magical, Sam. Making dinner together, even cleaning up together, you putting up with _Psycho_ instead of what should have been something more romantic than that. Just being together was so magical, and then making love with you for the first time,” he’d trailed off, overcome with emotion. She’d stepped in to hug him closely and they’d stood together, locked in that embrace for a long moment.

 

Samantha was jarred back into the present by the sound of the shower running. Shutting off the stove, she moved the pan containing the eggs onto the warmer section and turned her attention to draining the bacon and then buttering toast. That accomplished, she set out napkins and cutlery on the table, and readied plates and mugs on the countertop.

 

Minutes later, Spencer appeared, freshly showered and dressed in a pair of casual dark corduroy pants and a Halloween themed sweater. His hair was as tousled and untamed as always and Samantha grinned at the sight of him.

 

“Good morning to my favourite magician,” she purred, leaning across the countertop to kiss him and then handing him a mugful of coffee. “Breakfast’s ready. I just need to dish it out.”

 

He waited while she spooned eggs and bacon onto the plates and then they carried them over to the table. As they ate, they marveled about the beauty of the Shenandoah area. Spencer reiterated how enjoyable their entire day at the apple orchard and the pumpkin patch had been; and how moving and meaningful their night together was to him.

 

Samantha was elated by how much more easily the ‘morning after’ conversation was apparently becoming for him. It made her heart sing that he was that comfortable talking about it—love, sex, all aspects of a relationship—and the significance of this was not lost on her. Still, the timetable for any progression in their relationship rested solely with Spencer as far as she was concerned.

 

“Happy birthday Spence,” she said as she poured him a second mugful of coffee.

 

He sighed, a deep, contented sigh and replied. “Thank you. Thank you so much for _everything_ this weekend. I’ve been so spoiled!”

 

“Not done yet,” she remarked, eyes twinkling.

 

He shook his head and laughed. “Bring it on.”

 

They drove up Skyline Drive again, and again the mountains and fall colours vista captivated Spencer. The road wound through the mountains, passing several lookout points along the way.

 

“Did you wanna stop at a lookout point, Spence?”

 

“If there’s time?”

 

“We can make the time.”

 

“But if you have something specific planned, it’s okay,” he promised.

 

“Maybe on the way back?” she replied. The weather was decidedly cooler this morning and the sky was cloudy, the sun partially obscured. Part of their itinerary included an indoor event. Sam hoped the sky might clear up and afford them another chance at sight seeing later in the afternoon.

 

Spencer nodded his agreement to her suggestion as she drove on. Less than half an hour later, they arrived at the Halloween Haunt and corn maze. Spencer could not hide his delight as he alighted from the car and ran around to open Sam’s door.

 

They spent an hour getting lost in the corn maze and eventually finding their way out, after Spencer employed the ‘left hand on the wall, make left hand turns until you’re out’ strategy.

 

“Learned that from a computer game,” he told her.

 

“Seriously?” she was amazed.

 

“Garcia,” he explained. When he saw the look on her face, the look that demanded further explanation, he elaborated. “Years ago, I got shot in the knee and had to have surgery and was unable to join the team in the field for several weeks. To help pass the time, and to,” he paused and made finger quotes in the air, indicating he was quoting Garcia, “‘ _to help keep my brain sharp’_ she showed me a couple of computer games. While they satisfied the RPGer in her, they also required a bit of strategy and thinking, rather than relying just on luck and quick reflexes. One of them taught me that ‘keep going left’ strategy.”

 

“Oh,” she replied and then broke into laughter when he continued.

 

“Drove her crazy that I actually beat her at that game. Every time.”

 

They held hands and made their way to the Haunted House where Spencer was in his element. Another ninety minutes was spent being ‘frightened’ by witches, ghosts, skeletons and headless horsemen before Samantha had to drag him out of there, such was his obsession with the ax murderers and chain saw wielding demons.

 

They laughed as Spencer critiqued the authenticity of some of the displays in a good-natured manner. As they drove back to their cabin, Samantha sang the happy birthday song to him after which he critiqued her singing as well, giving her high marks for effort and enthusiasm.

 

“But I can’t carry a tune to save my life, can I?”

 

“Actually, you can. The song isn’t particularly challenging to sing, but your heart and soul came through clearly.”

 

“Awwww.”

 

She laughed and pulled into the parking area of a lookout point to afford Spencer one more opportunity to enjoy the panoramic view of the autumn colours. He looked angelic, she decided; his hair illuminated by the sun and the autumn-like colours highlighting it. Her phone found its way out of her pocket to take photos again as he reveled in the glory of the Virginia landscape.

 

An hour later, they were back in their cabin nursing mugs of freshly made coffee and chatting about their day. After draining hers, she excused herself, telling him she had dinner preparations to make.

 

“Is there something I can do to help?” he offered, rising from the sofa.

 

“Yes, there is,” she replied, and then looking him squarely in the eye told him, “Stay out of my way, Birthday Boy.”

 

Wide-eyed, he countered, “Yes, ma’am!” and breaking into laughter, he sat back down. She opened her purse, searched for a moment and then withdrew a deck of cards and handed it to him.

 

“There you go, play cards for a while or something,” she directed. He gave her a faux reproachful look and muttered, “ _Solitaire_. Story of my life.”

 

“I have a colouring book too, if you’d rather keep busy doing that.”

 

He laughed and told her he’d perfect his _Solitaire_ game instead. “Unless you’re sure I can’t help you with something.”

 

“I’ll let you know if I need you.”

 

“Also the story of my life,” he teased.

 

Half an hour later, with every possible permutation of _Solitaire_ solved, Spencer pulled his iPhone from his pocket and resorted to playing _Bejeweled_. He was elated to hear “Spencer, will you come here for a sec, please?” after successfully beating his high score yet again. Shoving the phone back into his pocket, he hurried to the kitchen.

 

“Just watch that the pot doesn’t boil over,” she directed. “I turned it down, it should be okay, but if it does start to bubble up, just take it off the burner.”

 

He nodded and watched as she disappeared to the bathroom. Lifting the lid off the pot, he noticed rice bubbling away. He replaced the lid and surveyed the kitchen. An assortment of chopped vegetables sat in bowls on the counter, including mushrooms, green onions, peppers and bok choy. What looked like chopped up scrambled egg was in another bowl. Another bowl held what he assumed was seeds of some kind.

 

“NO SNOOPING!!” rang out from the bathroom and Spencer wondered, “How the hell did she _know?”_

Minutes later, she returned, dressed now in a pair of skinny jeans paired with a deep purple cable knit cardigan over a white blouse.

 

“How long before dinner?” he asked.

 

“Maybe half an hour?” she posed, knowing that it would only take her about ten minutes to cook and assemble the stir-fry.

 

“Is there time for me to shower and change?”

 

“Yes, of course. Go have your shower.”

 

She waited until she heard the water running and then raced to the box she’d stowed away when they’d arrived yesterday. Hurriedly, she put up birthday decorations all over the cabin. The last of the streamers went up just as Spencer reemerged from the bedroom, dressed neatly in dark suit pants and her favourite purple shirt.

 

“What the--?” he laughed, “Oh wow, you really went all out, didn’t you? This has already been the best birthday of my life—“

 

“It’s gonna get even better,” she promised. “Just gimme about ten minutes now, to finish up dinner.”

 

“At the risk of getting chased out of here again, may I help?”

 

“Actually, yes, there is something you can do.” She went through cupboards and drawers, found what she was looking for and presented him with a corkscrew and a bottle of the same wine they’d shared on their first magical night. “Will you open that, please, and let it breathe for a couple minutes.”

 

He nodded and set about doing so as she quickly finished cooking their dinner. As she dished the food out onto two plates, Spencer filled two wine glasses.

 

“Sit down,” she indicated the dinner table. He set the two wine glasses down at their places, and put the wine bottle down in the centre of the table.

 

He fought the ingrained urge to see her into her seat and sat as directed. She set his dinner before him and laughed as he rose anyway and saw her into her chair before reseating himself.

 

“This looks incredible!” he announced, surveying the fried rice and chicken stir-fry on his plate.

 

“Happy birthday, Spence. Dig in.”

 

He took the first mouthful, swallowed and proclaimed, “This _is_ incredible! Teriyaki chicken, right? Wow, it’s awesome.”

 

She nodded happily, excited that she’d managed to make another meal that he was so readily enjoying.

 

“You’re so lucky. There have been some disasters. I’m English Literature, not Martha Stewart. I wouldn’t exactly call myself particularly talented in the kitchen.”

 

“It’s delicious. And you are fantastic in the kitchen,” he met her eyes and rose to her obvious bait. “And the living room. And the bedroom.”

 

He took a long sip of his wine, savoured it and waited for some sort of comeback. He didn’t have to wait long.

 

“Oh, you bet I am. You’ll see.”

 

He gulped and told her, “I _have_ seen!” Rolling his bottom lip in his teeth, he ventured further, “I have seen. But I wouldn’t mind seeing again. And again,” he added playfully.

 

They enjoyed her wonderful dinner and after they’d finished eating, Sam cleared away their dishes and stacked them in the sink. She filled it with soap and water and while it was filling, she took smaller plates, a cake knife and more forks to the table.

 

He refilled their wine glasses while Samantha opened the refrigerator and removed the white box. Spencer watched from his vantage point at the dinner table and broke into a wide smile as she brought a small cake, lighted candles twinkling atop it, over to the table and set it before him.

 

Once again, Samantha sang the birthday song, then directed, “Make a wish.”

 

“It’s already come true,” he whispered huskily, dangerously near tears. He blew them out, all at once and rose to kiss her, “Thank you.”

 

He swiped at his eyes and then picked up the knife, cutting and serving up two pieces of the chocolate dessert. After they finished cake, Spencer stood and cleared up the table.

 

Once in the kitchen, he put away the leftover cake and moved to the sink, intending to wash the dishes.

 

“Oh, NO,” she protested. “It’s your birthday.”

 

“It is, and my wish is to spend the rest of the evening with you. So the sooner this all gets cleaned up, the sooner we can adjourn to that.” He was washing plates as he spoke.

 

“I can do it later.”

 

He paused and looked her directly in the eye. “Or _we_ can do it together now.” He handed her the tea towel and plunged his hands back into the water to finish washing the dishes. “There isn’t that much to do,” he pointed out. She was drying cutlery and he was already washing the last of the pans.

 

Handing it to her, he took a corner of the towel to dry his hands.

 

“See?”

 

Nodding, she stifled a laugh and watched as he moved to the table to retrieve their wine glasses and the not-yet-empty bottle.

 

She put away the last of the cleaned dishes and circled around the counter to join him by the sofa.

 

Accepting her refilled glass, she motioned to the sofa and waited for him to sit down. Their eyes met as per usual, he waited for her to sit first.

 

“No. Seriously, Spence. Sit down.”

 

He did and immediately, she knelt down in front of him, as straight as she could so that they were at eye level with each other.

 

He looked into her eyes and saw the same feelings mirrored there that he’d felt for days. The love was plainly obvious. Pure. Honest. His eyes welled up when he saw hers do so and he couldn’t help himself. Leaning forward, he took her chin in one hand and told her “I love you, Samantha.”

 

“I love you too, Spencer,” she whispered back at him, then leaned in to kiss him. Softly, her lips covered his, tasting, gently touching. After a moment, she leaned back and whispered again, “Happy birthday, my love.”

 

He mouthed ‘thank you’ silently and his eyebrows rose when he saw her hands go to the front of her sweater. She unbuttoned it slowly, revealing the sheer white blouse under it. He could see that there was something beneath the blouse and as she unbuttoned that garment, he stopped breathing for a moment.

 

Where last night’s Halloween themed camisole had elicited smiles and laughter, tonight’s was a lacy, feminine purple concoction of beauty.

 

He found his breath, rose from the sofa and took her hand. As they walked towards the bedroom, Sam detoured them to the kitchen to retrieve the whipped cream from the fridge. Eyes wide, Spencer followed her to the bedroom, ready to share another magical night and make this his happiest birthday ever.

 

CMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCM

 

 ** _“There is only one happiness in this live, to love and be loved.”_** -George Sand

 

End Part Two

 

 

 


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